Food security challenges and improving agricultural market regulation instruments in ukraine: insights from international experience

<jats:p>The article examines contemporary food security challenges and substantiates directions for improving the instruments of agricultural market regulation in Ukraine with due consideration of international experience. Particular attention is paid to the growing vulnerability of agricultural production to price volatility, production and climatic risks, disruptions in logistics and supply chains, limited access to financial resources, and the consequences of wartime conditions. These factors underscore the importance of improving public regulation to maintain agricultural production, stabilize producers’ incomes, ensure the continuity of food supply, and strengthen national food security. The approaches applied in the European Union, the United States, and Canada are analyzed and compared. The study identifies differences in the combination of income support, agricultural insurance, credit instruments, market regulation, and crisis response measures. The European Union model combines economic, social, and environmental instruments within the Common Agricultural Policy. In contrast, the United States places greater emphasis on agricultural insurance and on managing price, production, and income risks. The Canadian approach is characterized by an integrated business risk management system and the application of interrelated programs depending on the nature and scale of adverse impacts. It is established that the direct transfer of foreign regulatory models to Ukraine is inappropriate due to differences in budgetary capacity, the specific conditions of agricultural production, and wartime and post-war risks. Therefore, a differentiated approach to implementing international instruments in domestic practice is warranted. A system of criteria for assessing the feasibility of their application is proposed, including budgetary capacity, the readiness of the public regulatory system for implementation, compliance with Ukraine’s European integration course, effectiveness in mitigating food security risks, applicability under wartime and post-war conditions, and the impact on competition in the agricultural market. The article proposes a conceptual model for the introduction of international regulatory instruments into Ukrainian practice. The model provides for their selection, assessment, modification in accordance with national economic and security conditions, pilot implementation, evaluation of results, and further practical application. Priority areas for Ukraine include the development of agricultural insurance, income stabilization and crisis response mechanisms, credit and investment support, and the gradual alignment of the national agricultural support system with the principles of the EU Common Agricultural Policy. The implementation of these instruments, taking into account Ukraine’s economic, financial, and security conditions, is expected to contribute to agricultural market stability, improve the resilience of agricultural producers, and strengthen national food security. Keywords: agricultural market, government regulation, international experience, food security challenges, food security, government support, agricultural risks, agricultural insurance, income stabilization, European integration.</jats:p>